Abandoned

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When I looked up again, the guys were walking off stage, and everyone was either leaving the venue, or going backstage to get things signed.

I walked around the stage and I smiled at the security guards as I passed.

“M. Shadows!!” I called, to Matt, when I saw the deathbat tattooed on his abs.

He turned, and waved. He walked over, and folded his arms across his chest, in front of me.

“What can I do for you?” He asked.

“Can I interview all of you guys together?” I asked.

He nodded, and waved everyone else over. Leanna had her arm laced through Jimmy’s,
short little Lacey, was getting a piggy back ride, from Johnny. Valary came over and stood
next to Matt, and Brian walked over holding hands with Michelle.

After a couple minutes I noticed Jacqueline and Zack walking over, too.

“Alright, now that we’re all here, ask away.” matt said, with a smile.

I got ready to ask a question, but someone was staring at me.

“Rev, your girlfriend is bothering me.” I laughed.

“Leanna. Quit staring.” Jimmy muttered to her.

She shook her head stubbornly, and kept looking over my face.

“Well, what’s it like to be famous?’ I asked anyway.

“It’s pretty much what we expected in high school. We get a lot of attention, and we try to lay
low, but being as inked as we are, it’s kinda hard.”

“How did you guys get noticed? I mean, who helped you guys get signed?” I asked.

Matt looked back at Brian, who had closed his eyes for a second before he noticed that
everyone was looking at him.

“You know in high school, when those popular kids think that they can get anything they
want? DO anything they want?” He asked.

“Yeah. I know.” I nodded.

“We. . .mostly I was one of those kids. . .Rebecca, she was different, though. Her family
owned one of the biggest record companies. . .ever, basically. I think her dad still runs it.
And, I. . .I’d really like it if you didn’t put this part in the paper. It would ruin the guys’
reputation, even though I’m the one who fucked up.” Brian suggested.

“Alright.” I nodded.

“I planned on using, Becca, to get us signed. . .I guess my plan kinda backfired, and
everything went to hell. I fell for her, she fell for me. . .we both ended up getting hurt, when
she found out. When she left, though, it was to late. I wasn’t using her anymore. . .she was
something to me. She was more then something. . .She was everything.” Brian smiled, and
a tear glistened at the corner of his eye, but it quickly vanished. “But now I have Michelle.” He
smiled, wider.

My heart stuttered. . .I was glad I didn’t mean anything to him anymore. I noticed that Jac had
disappeared.

“So, Zacky, what’s it like being a married man?” I asked.

“It’s great. Jac actually used to be Becca’s best friend. That’s how I met her. We kinda fell for
each other right away. . .like love at first sight. I just kinda. . .knew.” Zack shrugged.

I nodded with a smile.

“And you guys are engaged?” I asked raising my eyebrow at Matt.

“That we are. It feels so great to know, that Val actually wants to spend the rest of her life
with me. She has a lot to deal with, I mean all the girls do, and it’s great to know that we
have someone that loves us so much. . .I only wish Bec-Rebecca was still here to feel this
with us. . .I mean without her. . .we’d basically be nothing.” Matt nodded, and laced his
fingers through Val’s.

“Leanna, what’s it like dating The rev?” I asked.

“It’s wonderful, much like what everyone else has said about their “Better Halves”. He’s so
sweet, and funny. He’s charming, and well. . .he’s weird, but he’s perfect for me.” Leanna
smiled at me, then looked up at Jimmy lovingly.

“Johnny. . .how would you say. . .your and Becca’s relationship was?”

“Me and B-Rebecca, got along alright. We weren’t best friends, and we weren’t close like
she was with everyone else, but. . .I liked her. She was great for us. . .for Brian. She
changed us, and I guess it was kinda my fault, that it fell apart.”

“Can you really say it’s your fault, though? I mean, by the way Brian explained things. . .”

“Can we not talk about this?” Jacqueline’s voice cut me off.

I looked at her, and I could see her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

“If you insist. Umm. . .how did you and Becca meet?” I asked.

“Her name is Rebecca to you. You didn’t know her. She wasn’t your friend.” Jacqueline said.
Everyone turned to look at her in shock.

“How did you and Rebecca meet, then?” I asked.

“We met back in elementary school. 3rd grade. I was that girl, that nobody liked, that everyone thought had cooties. Even the other girls. Some of the older kids had cornered me, and. . .They were making fun of me. I remember crying so hard I couldn’t talk. Becca was basically. . .my knight in shining armor. She beat them all up, every single one them. . .She got 6 days OSS, but when she came back, she told me, that it was the best thing she’d ever do for her best friend.

You don’t know how good it felt, to be called someone’s best friend. . .Or how good it felt to be stood up for. Nobody ever messed with either of us again. If they did. . .She took care of it. I love her, and I miss her so much. Put that in your magazine, maybe she’ll read it.” Jac said, turning away.

I bit my bottom lip, and tried to swallow the lump in my throat that was keeping me from
talking, but it was to big.

“That’s all.” I choked out.

“Do you want anything signed?” Matt asked.

I nodded, and tossed him a white A7X hoodie.

“What do you want on it?” He asked.

“I don’t know. You pick.” I shrugged.

Matt jotted down a quick note, and looked up at me.

“To who?”

“Rebecca, with Kerrang.” I said.

Matt nodded, and wrote it down. When he picked up his pen, and handed me my sweatshirt
I turned to walk away.

After about 10 steps, Leanna’s voice came out loud and clear.

“You have a great day. Rebecca with Kerrang!!” She called.

My footsteps faltered, but I kept walking.

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Leanna’s P.O.V.

When I called out my good-bye, I couldn’t bring myself to say her real name. Rebecca Schvedka. Her name rang in my ears, over and over again. I wondered if Jac noticed or if she was to naive.

I know why I didn’t call out her name. It would have cause everyone stress, and we all would have been fighting.

It was amazing how much we talked about Becca, and the good times we had, but senior prom. . .non of us mentioned it.

We never talked about it, in the past 4 years. . .not once.

For most people it was the best night of their lives, but for us. . .basically, it was hell.
We all avoided like it was the black plague. It was the night, that turned all of out lives upside down.

There isn’t a single day that I don’t wonder how Becca is. Not a single day that I haven’t wondered if she misses us, as much as we all miss her. Not a single day, that I don’t wonder if she uses another guy to take Brian’s place, like Brian is doing with Michelle.

Not a single day that I don’t wonder if she fakes a smile for her best friends, and tells them she’s fine, like Brian does, or if her new friends even know about her past.
There hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t woken up crying. Not a single day. . .

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